From Yediot Aharanot: Questions and Answers with Hakham Rashi Moshe Firrouz about the recent ban on Karaite slaughter.
Those who follow the blog regularly know that I have tremendous respect for the Rabbinic tradition. (See here and here.) Heck, I have even professed my “support” for the Rabbanut.
But, at some point, you just have to call a foul on the Israeli religious authorities and ask your fellow Jews a simple question: “What kind of Jewish world do you want to live in?”
The Karaite Jews of America’s Booth at JFNA’s TribeFest.
Eli Shmuel and I are here in New Orleans at the Jewish Federation of North America’s TribeFest 2014 – which is awesome so far. Over Shabbat, Eli and I were discussing whether we (Karaites, Rabbanites, others) know the true color of techellet.
And the conversation led me to one of the most profound realizations of my young life.
Filed under Eli Shmuel, JFNA TribeFest, Moshe Firrouz, Techellet
Eli Shmuel crushes it in his talk about the future of Karaites in Israel.
On Sunday, February 23, 2014, Eli Shmuel gave a 15 minute talk to the Karaite Jews of America on the rejuvenation of the Karaite Jewish movement in Israel. It’s been just over a year since I pondered whether 2013 would be a Karaite tipping point and or whether Karaite Judaism would even survive another generation.
So let’s hear what Eli has to say about the issue . . .
Filed under Eli Shmuel, State of the Movement, videos
Professor Lasker provides direct translations of many classical Karaite works.
Most religious Jews are aware of Maimonides’ 13 principles of faith. But Maimonides himself was not even the first person of his era to compose principles of faith.
It turns out that Maimonides was beat to the punch by the 12th Century Karaite Sage Judah Hadassi. Today, we’ll examine whether Hadassi was the first to create such a list and we provide a video by Eli Shmuel discussing Haddassi’s principles of faith.
Filed under Daniel Lasker, Eli Shmuel, Judah Hadassi, Maimonides
Eli FINALLY got his hands on a set of Karaite Fact Cards
I can’t think of a better return to blogging than with the most exciting Karaite project in a while. (At least, this is the most exciting project I am allowed to disclose . . . )
Eli Shmuel, a shaliach (of sorts) from the Karaite community of Israel, will be traveling the United States for several months, and he has some very ambitious goals while he is here. I caught up with Eli last night upon his arrival to San Francisco.
Filed under Eli Shmuel, Karaite Jews of America, Moshe Marzouk, Nasser
A Karaite Shochet’s First Meal: Goat Pizza.
(Photo Courtesy of T. Wheeler.)
By now, we all know that Karaites and Rabbanites have different traditions regarding kashrut (e.g., milk and meat and alyah). But the historical Karaite practice of slaughter (Hebrew: shechita) is also different from the Rabbinic practice.
Today, I catch up with Travis Wheeler, a Karaite schochet, and Eli Shmuel, a young Israeli Karaite, about the Karaite halakhic tradition regarding slaughter. Continue reading
Filed under Eli Shmuel, Kashrut, Milk and Meat, Moshe Firrouz, Shechita, Travis Wheeler
